Padraig Harrington Takes Second Step Towards Becoming Third Irish-Born Ryder Cup Captain.

Padraig Harrington took a second step in being becoming Ireland’s third Ryder Cup captain after being named by Darren Clarke as one of three Hazeltine vice-captains.

As correctly predicted, Clarke named Harrington, Thomas Bjorn and Paul Lawrie and will name his final two ‘deputies’ around the time of July’s Open Championship.

“These three guys I’ve known for almost my entire career on Tour, three good friends, three guys who won’t be afraid to tell me, something what I don’t want to hear,” said Clarke.

“So I trust them implicitly and their opinions.”

In fact, Harrington’s known of his appointment since late last year while Clarke disclosed his three vice-captains to the ‘probable’s’ and ‘possible’s’ he gathered together recently at The Players Championship.

It will Harrington’s second straight back-room team role after being one of Paul McGinley’s Gleneagles vice-captains.

Padraig Harrington takes another step to becoming the third Irish-born Ryder Cup Captain.

Padraig Harrington takes another step to becoming the third Irish-born Ryder Cup Captain.

“I don’t recall when Darren spoke to me but it was last year around September or October last year so it will be nearly a full year in advance ahead of when they tee up at Hazeltine,” said Harrington.

“And only Caroline and my mum, along with my manager has known about it.

“Genuinely, I loved the experience of Gleneagles and look forward to it this time, and who would not want to be there.  It’s nice to be part of it and it’s going to be nice being there as you can genuinely make a difference.

“Of course, the pressure is on Darren and that’s where the buck stops as he is the one who is going to have to make the decisions while I and the other vice captains can only give him opinions but ultimately those opinions can have an effect.

“I certainly felt like I was part of the whole thing last time and believe that to be the case this time.”

But while Harrington will now all the credentials to either replace Clarke as the 2018 European Team captain, or as many believe he will instead be better suited to 2020 at Whistling Straits, it was a subject he was not going to be drawn.

“Everybody would love to be a captain, but I’m very much focusing on this Ryder Cup ….it is good to be a vice captain, it is great to be a vice captain, it really is,” he said.

“This is all focused on 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine, maybe a week afterwards we can start discussing other things going forward.”



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